Need help picking a zero turn

[KYDan]

Echoing what others have already posted, get one that suits your needs. The commercial models will last a lifetime if you take care of them and they are built to take some abuse. I have had a JD 757 since 2005 (pre-China model) and it has been a joy. If you are really picky about your turf be aware that you can do some damage with a zero turn unless you are very careful making your turns and you will still "scuff" your lawn until you figure it out. If you enjoy seat time while mowing then maybe a good tractor mower would suit you better and you can do other chores with it. I mow 10+ acres of lawn and it still takes me two days with finish work to complete it. Ask a dealer to demonstrate one of the mowers with you at your place. That will tell you a little about the dealer and the service you can expect from him/her as well.

Good luck, and having fun shopping!

 

[IXLR8]

I went from a Husqvarna 48" walk behind to a John Deere Z727 54" zero turn. On my 1.5 acre lawn it cut the mowing time in half. I couldn't afford a new commercial grade mower, found a used one with 300 hrs on it for 1/2 the price of new. I have had it 4 years and the only thing I have had to do to it is change the blades after hitting a survey pin, that and yearly oil changes. To add to your confusion, you might want to consider a quality used commercial machine.

 

[Inspector507]

Hopefully I'll be able to pick up my new ZD323-60 on Saturday

My wife works for a Kubota dealer and they've had this ZD sitting outside every morning when I take her to work. I got to joking around with the owner and told him to write up a sales order for it. Next thing I know, I was out driving it around while he put some figures on paper. With Kubota's 0% for 60 Months along with a $300 Instant Rebate, I had to buy it.

I know I could have gone with a less expensive brand such as Cub Cadet or even as high as an Exmark. But this just happened to be what I wanted, Kubota quality and endurance, diesel and a 60" Fabricated deck instead of stamped. Oh and the financing. I liked the service jack built into the front of it and pneumatic front tires. The filters and grease zerks look to be readily accessible. I'll be to tell more once I pick it up.

It appears to come in about 200lbs less than my tractor and belly mower combination, so hopefully less ruts in the wet front yard.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Ferris. Enough said.

Chris

 

[hyperrust]

I chose a Scag Tiger Cat 52" deck. Something I read when I was agonizing over my choice is that one couldn't really go wrong with any of the top few brands. I'm very happy I got a suspension seat, and sometimes I wish I'd looked for a machine with a suspension frame too. However, I cut some pastures with mine at times, so if you stayed on a lawn you'd be fine.

My Scag has been great, and I anticipate it outlasting me. I only have about 100 hours on it in one year.

 

[gostovp]

thanks for the feedback..the more and more I look at the Gravely ZT HD 52 the more I like it, especially for the price ($4500 before tax)...all the mowers listed look great, but in all the research I've been doing online, the feedback on the Gravely ZT HD series has been outstanding.

 

[pete-mi]

Going with a heavy duty mower is the best choice. It will cost a little more but will last longer with less break downs. I would also go with one that has a good warranty. The more confient the manufacturer is with the product the longer the warranty is. I purchased a new zero turn last year and went with a Bob-Cat. I have been very happy with it and it does a great job. I would also take the top 2 picks for a test drive even if it is just in the dealers parking lot. This will give you a better feel of how it handles. Look for one that has a heavy duty deck and blade spindles.

 

[tlbuser]

thanks for the feedback..the more and more I look at the Gravely ZT HD 52 the more I like it, especially for the price ($4500 before tax)...all the mowers listed look great, but in all the research I've been doing online, the feedback on the Gravely ZT HD series has been outstanding.

Perfect, as others have said, ask for a demo at your place. And, for what you're cutting, stepping down to a 48" deck and saving a little more probably wouldn't hurt a thing. With a zero turn bigger isn't necessarily better. The real time savings are cutting speed and maneuverability. Did you happen to look at http://www.lawnsite.com/forumdisplay.php?f=41?

 

[EagleTDL]

I've had a couple of Toro's for the past 4 years, ranging from a 50" to 72" deck. Cut anywhere from an acre to three, depending upon where I was at. Never had a lick of trouble out of either of them, other than normal maintenance stuff. There was that Blade Engage relay I had to replace ($9) but it wouldn't have had anything to do with me spilling Mt Dew on it?!?! :ashamed:

Suggestions:

- Get the most solid deck you can, preferably welded, thicker the better. In your case and your acreage, anything 48-54" will suffice
- Speed is irrevelant if you're not mowing the golf course. It will either be too bumpy to mow at full speed or the mower will mow faster than you care to drive it! :laughing:
- Make sure the seat is adjustable, especially if Momma is going to be using it
- Suggest a ROPS and Seatbelt, **** happens
- The less agressive tread you can get on the tires the better off you are, you can read multiple threads around here about a ZTR tearing up your grass
- The wider the wheelbase, the better... More stable and less chance of a roll-over (see ROPS and Seatbelt above, they're there for a reason)

After that, it's all a matter of opinion about manufacturers and pocketbook size... The more demos you can arrange, at your property, the better you will feel about the purchase in the end.

Luck!

 

[kiotiken]

...and right now it takes about 2.5 hours to mow w/ the 'piece of crap' Cub 1554 lawn tractor, so I'm thinking the zero turn will cut it to 1.25 hours...

The wife likes to mow, but the mower has to be easy to drive and manoeuvre, easy to mainting and she is insisting on a quality machine after all the problems we have w/ the Cub.

I have a 60" Ferris, can't remember the model right now, but it's commercial, built like a tank and has been %100 trouble free for the first 1200 hrs.

I have 3 acres to mow. With my JD riding mower it took almost 3 hrs, now it's just over an hours so I think you'll easily hit your 1.25 hr goal.

My wife likes mowing the lawn too, mostly to get a break from the kids! She's fine with it now, but all of these zero turn mowers have a learning curve and take a little time to get comfortable with.

Any of these commercial grade mowers will more than meet your needs. Try some out and see which one you prefer and which dealer makes you the most comfortable. These mowers save most of their time not by the width of the cut, but by the speed they are able to travel while mowing and how fast they can turn at the end of a row and get back to mowing the next row. Good luck.